Wheel structure



WHEEL STRUCTURE. FILED Dec. 1a. 1920.

Mar. 27, 1923. l1,450,064.

I I'I Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

STATES ETHAN I. Dopnsor CENTRAL VALL-EY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNQR. 'royFEnNvnERYEoLT ooJSIrANY, oF JeTTTSBURGIPL',l rENNsrL vANI'A'.'

WHEEL STRUCTURE.

- Application ledDecember 13, 1920. Serial No. 430,274.

.To all wr/0m t may concern.'

yBe it known that LETHAN I. Donns, a citizen ofthe United States, and alresident of Central Valley, in thecounty of Orange and. State of NewYork,y have invented certain new and useful Improvements in =WheelStructures; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be afull, clear, andexactldescription of the invention, such as will ena-blev others skilledin the art to` which it appery tains, to make and use the same.

`This 1invention relates to improvements in wheelsand more particularlyto connecting means between a sheet metal wheel body and a wheel rim andhub,-one object of my invention being to provide simple and etlicientmeans forY eii'ecting quick and substantial connection of sheet metalspokes to a wheel rim and ,to provide vmeans whereby thehub portions ofa sheet metalwheel bodymay be easily `mounted lupon. and securelyfastened toa wheel hub.

Withy this vand other. objects in view, the

invention consists in certain novel features of -construction andvcombinations of parts ashereinafterset forthand pointed out in theclaims.

In the, accompanying drawings g; Figure 1 is a view ,insectionofaportion of a 4wheel showing an embodiment of my invention,`

and lFiguresf2, 3,4, 5 and 6 are views showing modifications. l

The sheet metal wheelbody comprises hub members 1, 2 andl spokes Smadeinthe form of loops projecting from said hub members. The wheel body maybe made from a single slit sheet metal blank and formed as shown anddescribed in application filed by me oneven date herewith and designatedby Serial No. 430,270.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure l, the hub portions 1,2, of the wheel body are curved transversely or made hook-shaped (incross section) and mounted on a wheel hub 4. This hub is made with ashoulder 5 to form an abutment for the transversely-curved orhook-shaped hub member 1. The hub 4 is provided at one end with a iiange6 to which a brake band 7 may be secured and this flange also affords ashoulder 8. A rod or wire 9 encircles the transversely curved hub member1 of the wheel 'body and holds the same in place, displacement of saidrod or wire being prevented by the shoulder 8. A ring 10 encirbersy 1and ,2 oi-the v,wheel .body in proper spaced positions. A lrod or wire11 also enwith a threaded portion 12 on 'which a v.flanged `ring ,13- isscrewed, Ithe flange of said ring overlying the rod or wire 411, and a,filler ring 14.- encircles, thehub. 4 between the ring 13 and thetransversely curved hubV member .2. Displacement of the flanged ring 13may. be prevented by a hub, cap 15 screwed on the threadedportionofvthefhub.

The .loops forming the pairs of sheet metal spokes may be flexibly andadjustably=- connected with a rim-` 16. In theembodiment ot' the.invention shown in.` Figure 1 the wheel rim 16is provided with openingshaving tapering walls, in whichbearingfsleeves 17 are supported.Each'bearingsleeveis made with an interiorrounded seat 181m. re-

ceive a rounded annularfhead..19 I on a threaded connecting member v20Vand* Vthe latter is made with anopening toreeeive necting ,the twospokes. Thus it will bejseen .that connecting means betweenithe spokestension of. the spokes. Instead 'of'proyild ing separate bearingsleeves17.1501* the lheads ot the v connecting ;devices,.fthe seatslfor saidheads may fbe formed'y in enlargements, 1 7a projecting nwardlyfrom thewheelrim 16 as shown in Figure 2, or 'the connecting devices between thespokes 3 and the rim 16 may be constructed as shown in Figure 3. In thisconstruction, a threaded bolt 21 is employed, said bolt. having arounded head 22 mounted in the sleeve 17 (or the seat portion orenlargement 17 SL). A coupling member 23 is threaded on the bolt 21 soas to be adjustable thereon and is provided with an opening 24 toreceive the .loop connect-ing two spokes.

Instead of curving the hub members 1, 2, transversely and mounting themon the hub as above described, said hub members may be left flat asshown at 1a 2a in Figure 2 and mounted on the wheel hub 4 as shown insaid gure. In this construction, the hub members 1a, 2a are held inplace by bands 25, 26 and displacement of these bands will be preventedby a hub Harige 27 and athreaded hub cap 28 respectively. It dethe loopformed at the outer ends of andcon..80 "f sired, the hub members l", 2bof the Wheel body may be made thick and mounted on the hub 4 as shown inFigure 5.

In the construction shown in Figure 4, the Wheel hub 4 is provided witha sprocket or drive Wheel 29 and the fiat hub members 1a and 2a are heldon the Wheel hub in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 2, exceptthat the hand 26 maybe made integral with the hub cap and an abutment27a in the sprocket Wheel substituted for the hub flange 27 shown inFigure 2. In Figure 4 I have shown the spokes made in the Jform oi aplurality of loops, the intermediate loops being secured to the Wheelhub 4 by a rod or Wire 28 surrounding said hub and Welded to saidintermediate loops. The outer ends of the spoke loops shown in Figure 4may be secured to arim (28 in Figure 4 or 29 in Figures 5 and 6) throughthe medium of rods or Wires 30 and clips 3l, the ends of the latterbeing riveted or other- Wise secured to the Wheel rim.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is

l. In a Wheel structure, the combination of a hub and a rim, a sheetmetal Wheel body comprising hub and spoke members,

means connecting said hub members to the hub and means flexiblyconnecting the spoke f members With the rim.

2. In a` Wheel structure, the combinationv with a hub and a'rim, of aWheel body comprising hubmembers and spoke members, said hub membersconnected With said hub, and means flexibly connecting said spokemembers With the rim.

3. In a Wheel structure, the combination with a Wheel hub and a rim, ofa'Wheel body comprising hub members and spoke members, annular memberssurrounding the hub and securing the Wheel body hub members thereto,means for preventing displacement of said annular members, and meansconnecting said spoke members with the rim.

4. In a Wheel structure, the combination With a hub and a rim, ofv aWheel body comprising hub members and spoke members, said hub membersbeing curved transversely and ymounted on the hub, annular membersengaging said curved hub members, means forming shoulders to engage saidhub members, means Jfor preventing displacement of said annular members,means on the hub holding said hub members spaced from each other, andmeans for connecting the spoke members With the 5. In a Wheel structure,the combination With a hub and a rim, of connected yspokes connectedWith said hub, and coupling means connected with said connected spokesand movably connected With the rim.

6. In a Wheel structure, the combination with a hub and a rim, ofconnected spokes connected with the hub, bearing members carried by therim and having interior curved seats, and coupling means connected with`the connected spokes and provided With rounded heads seated inl saidbearing members.

7. In a Wheel structure,-the'combination,

with hub, anda rim, of spokes arranged to form vloops and secured to thehub, bearing members carried by the rim and having io.- terior curvedseats, couplingidevices comprising parts engaging the looped ends of thespoke members an-d parts adjustably connected with the rst-mentionedparts and aitfording'L rounded heads -movably n mounted in said bearingmembers.

In' testimony whereof, I have signed this specilication in the presenceof two subscrib- ETHAN i. DoDDsi. I

ing Witnesses.

Vitnesses:

ETHAN IRA Donns, Jr., v HENRY W. CRoMWnLL.

